UDP supporter implicates former minister Yankuba Touray in their torture

UDP supporter implicates former minister Yankuba Touray in their torture

Yankuba Touray is one of the people adversely mentioned before the Truth Commission for his involvement in several atrocities including the alleged killing of Ousman Koro Ceesay and close to a dozen soldiers on November 11, 1994.

Omar Darboe, a native of Gunjur and member of United Democratic Party

Omar Darboe, a supporter of the United Democratic Party, has suggested that the September 1996 attack on them at the Denton Bridge by soldiers was led by former Junta member Yankuba Touray.

Touray, a Local Government Minister at the early days of the military rule, was also accused by the leadership of the UDP for being behind the Denton Bridge attack.

The Denton Bridge incident has left some members of the UDP with health complications that reportedly led to their death, according to Ousainou Darboe.

One famous person whose death was reportedly caused by the incident was a known drummer Kebuteh Jafuneh, a claim reiterated by Omar Darboe.

Omar Darboe, a native of Gunjur, said there were about 100 UDP supporters in a truck when they arrived at the Denton Bridge. They have found a group of soldiers there and one of them shot their vehicle tyres.

“They forced us out of the vehicle, hitting us with gun butts,” said Darboe. He said they forced them to lie down on the ground and started stamping on them. “We were about 100 of us. Some of us were women. They told us to undress ourselves and we did. We were asked to lie down and they were stamping on us. They stamp on every side of our bodies including our heads. They were wearing (combat) boots. They were in full uniform,” said Darboe.

He said during the time of the torture, he could not recognize anyone but after the incident, a vehicle arrived at the Bridge from Banjul.

He said he saw Yankuba addressing the soldiers who have dealt with them, telling soldiers that they should have killed them.

“I did not recognize any of the soldiers beating us… However, a vehicle came from Banjul. I later saw Yankuba Touray telling soldiers that if they had properly done their job, we should all have been killed,” said Darboe.

“Thereafter, they came back to beating us. They also took our belongings and the drums of Kebuteh and burnt them. They took the hot ashes and sprayed it on us.”

Darboe said the soldiers later took them to a place near the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital where they were further beaten on the instruction of Touray.

At the new location, he said they were also beaten on the orders of Touray.

“Yankuba Touray came and told us “if you join a ship of shameless people, you anchor at a harbor of disgrace (a Mandinka proverb)…” That was when our situation got worse. They beat us seriously,” said Darboe.

Darboe said they were later released but some of their people remained detained. He would later be taken to Dr Sheriff Ceesay for treatment by his party. He said the torture left him with a disjointed arm.

Yankuba Touray is one of the people adversely mentioned before the Truth Commission for his involvement in several atrocities including the alleged killing of Ousman Koro Ceesay and close to a dozen soldiers on November 11, 1994.